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KABUL (SW): The Wolesi Jirga (lower house) on Wednesday called for probe into the sale of 144 acres of public land to a private company.
The house questioned officials of the Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) and Afghanistan Land Authority (ALA) on the matter. Some members of the house questioned the ‘90 per cent of discount’ on actual price of the land to the Alkozai Group of Companies (AGC). According to the WJ members, the public property has been sold at cheap price to the company. It was noted that this property is located close to the Hamid Karzai International Airport, and per acre of it has been sold at $ 5000 only.
Abdul Qayoom Sajadi, a member of the house, said an acre of this property has estimated market value of $ 400 thousand dollars which is the joint property of ACCA and Afghanistan Land Authorities (ALA). Members of the house charged President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani for ‘favoring’ the AGC for their support in the presidential election 2014 campaign. Hamed Zaher, the director of ACAA, read the Presidential decree before the house that stated the land has been allocated to the AGC after evaluation and review of the Economic Council and approval of the Cabinet and the President.
Some other members of the house welcomed the deal as an incentive for the investment of the Alkozai Company in the country. Iqbal Safi, another member of the house, claimed that many people have grabbed land illegally. He said no objections on illegal grabbing have been raised by those who are propagating negative views about this company that has invested heavily in the country.
Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the speaker of the house appointed a committee to review the matter.
ENDS
